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Where HE Calls HomeMon, 23 Mar 2015 12:25:18 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.1.1Odd Michael Myers and HalloweeN Viewing Experiencehttp://www.michael-myers.net/odd-michael-myers-halloween-viewing/
http://www.michael-myers.net/odd-michael-myers-halloween-viewing/#commentsSun, 22 Mar 2015 00:59:45 +0000http://www.michael-myers.net/?p=14895Continue reading →]]>Imagine you’re into films and you know of Michael Myers, but you’ve never had a chance to seriously check out the HalloweeN movies. Picture going to the store and seeing a Triple Feature Blu-ray for sale. The Blu-ray contains 3 HalloweeN films on it. You realize that this Blu-ray must be a good way to get caught up on the adventures of masked villain Michael Myers.

You think to yourself that the 3 films on this Blu-ray should provide a brief but coherent overview of the HalloweeN franchise. Why wouldn’t they? Why would someone just throw three random movies together and then put it on sale to the general public? You assume that someone put thought into selecting the titles for this themed Triple Pack. Surely, whoever was responsible for this release, had a linear grasp of what the HalloweeN series was all about. So, you buy this HalloweeN Triple Feature Blu-ray.

If you make it past the first film on this Triple Feature, then you’re in for a treat. By “treat” I mean a descent into the dark recesses of the human mind. Try putting the pieces of the HalloweeN puzzle together based on what’s on this Triple Feature Blu-ray. The first film is Halloween: Resurrection.

Halloween: Resurrection is simple and straightforward. As a sequel, Resurrection does an adequate job in severing its ties to the previous film (you don’t have to watch H20 to understand Resurrection). Next up on this disc is HalloweeN: The Curse of Michael Myers.

Forget that this Triple Feature went backwards, from Part 8 Resurrection to Part 6 The Curse of Michael Myers. What’s more bothersome is that HalloweeN 6 barely makes any kind of sense even when you’ve watched all of the other HalloweeN films. HalloweeN III: Season of the Witch could’ve served as a better selection here instead of H6. H3 could’ve been a buffer on this Blu-ray between Halloween: Resurrection and the third film, because…

The third film on this Triple Feature is Rob Zombie’s Halloween II. Rob Zombie’s H2 relies on character development that began in Rob Zombie’s previous film. Dr. Loomis appears in H6 and Zombie’s H2. But, going by what’s on this Triple Feature, not only has the role of Dr. Loomis been recast, but the character of Dr. Loomis has also been recast.

Furthermore, the Rob Zombie films take place in a different universe than Resurrection and The Curse of Michael Myers. You can develop arguments to link the worlds of H6 and Resurrection. But it would be impossible to extend that link to Rob Zombie’s Halloweens. Rob Zombie’s Halloween movies are re-imaginings. By definition they exist separately from the films that came before.

Like many of you, I’ve recommended HalloweeN films to several people. I cater my suggestions to what I know about the person who is asking. HalloweeN 4: The Return of Michael Myers is a good standalone flick. It has a killer taking people out, a town fighting back, and a tense atmosphere. The gore isn’t too over-the-top, there’s no sex or nudity, the story is easy to follow, and the main characters are likable. H4 is a horror film for those who want to be scared just a bit.

For those who appreciate suspense, genuine frights, and the technical aspects of a film (excellent cinematography and music), the choice is a no-brainer. It’s John Carpenter’s HalloweeN (1978). If they want more of the night he came home, then it’s obvious that HalloweeN II (1981) is required viewing. H2 has more on-screen violence than its predecessor, but it provides resolution to the stories of Laurie Strode, Michael Myers and Dr. Loomis.

Viewers who value entertainment at the expense of good dialog and decent acting would like Halloween: H20. Like HalloweeN 4, H20 works as a standalone film. H20 is not scary and it has a clear, unambiguous ending. The story centers on Laurie Strode. Her antics, combined with the hip, fast-paced offerings of Josh Hartnett, Michelle Williams, LL Cool J, Discount George Clooney, and Michael Myers flipping tables will keep the viewer happy.

If they really enjoyed H20, I would then recommend Resurrection. Resurrection gives the illusion of action by having a bunch of people run inside of a fake house, and Busta Rhymes flying off the handle. Both H20 and Resurrection are quite harmless. They share similar character types (one dimensional people who don’t say anything thought-provoking), and they contribute to a larger story (that Michael Myers wants his sister dead and that he will kill anyone in his house). One doesn’t need to watch any of other previous HalloweeN entries to understand what’s going on in both H20 and Resurrection.

If I know a person can handle a good amount of cussing and graphic violence, then my recommendation would be Rob Zombie’s Halloween (2007). It’s a well-shot film that will definitely garner a response from the viewer. This version of Michael Myers is not a mystery as he was before. Myers isn’t a stuntman wearing a mask either (as he obviously was in 1981’s Halloween II and in Halloween: H20). Here, Michael Myer is a person who, like everyone else, had a childhood. Also, Michael has developed understandable, if stereotypical, reasons for doing the things that he does.

As is common with these European releases, this Halloween Triple Feature Blu-ray (featuring Resurrection, H6 and Rob Zombie’s H2) tends to sell for astronomical prices on the web. Why? Because it’s sold out and few copies can be found beyond Europe. So, it’s a rare release. And, if it’s rare, then it’s a must-have at any price, right?

Right?

Well, wrong.

P.S. Under “Extra Content” for HalloweeN: The Curse of Michael Myers, the Blu-ray lists “Trailer, Featurette.” I wonder what the “Featurette” is? Whatever it is, the back cover says that the trailer and the featurette combined are around 6 minutes in length. It’s probably nothing major – or maybe…

]]>http://www.michael-myers.net/odd-michael-myers-halloween-viewing/feed/0Mask from Halloween 4 & The Curse of Michael Myershttp://www.michael-myers.net/halloween-curse-michael-myers-mask/
http://www.michael-myers.net/halloween-curse-michael-myers-mask/#commentsSun, 15 Mar 2015 00:00:25 +0000http://www.michael-myers.net/?p=14764Continue reading →]]>A Michael Myers mask that seems to be from the film Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers but used during the production of Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers was discovered recently.

Member MrDillweedius shared photos with us of a Michael Myers mask that was given to his family after shooting of Halloween 6 wrapped up back in 1995. MrDillweedius has stated that the makers of Halloween 6 gave them the mask and that he is the brother of the actor who played Danny Strode in that film.

This particular Michael Myers mask has lost its hair and it was kept stored in the basement for many years. The mask does look like a Halloween 4 mask and it also may be the mask that the mysterious Background Michael Myers is wearing during Halloween 6 in a quick scene when Debra Strode is on the phone in her house.

]]>http://www.michael-myers.net/halloween-curse-michael-myers-mask/feed/0Pre-Orders Now Open at Michael Myers.Net Storehttp://www.michael-myers.net/preorders-open-michael-myersnet-store/
http://www.michael-myers.net/preorders-open-michael-myersnet-store/#commentsThu, 05 Mar 2015 09:52:11 +0000http://www.michael-myers.net/?p=14867Continue reading →]]>Pre-orders for this year’s new shipment of Halloween 6, Halloween H20, Ben Tramer and Halloween ResurrectionMichael Myers masks are now open at the Michael-Myers.net store. Last year the Halloween The Curse of Michael Myers, H20 and Resurrection masks were hugely popular and they sold out quickly (they now sell privately for inflated prices on FeeBay), but theses masks, and the brand new Halloween II Ben Tramer mask, are set to be available again in August 2015 at their usual affordable prices. Place your pre-order now to guarantee that you’ll receive your Michael Myers mask as part of Trick or Treat Studios’ new shipment of masks.

]]>http://www.michael-myers.net/preorders-open-michael-myersnet-store/feed/0Danielle Harris Fights Evil Again in See No Evil 2http://www.michael-myers.net/halloweens-danielle-harris-see-no-evil-2/
http://www.michael-myers.net/halloweens-danielle-harris-see-no-evil-2/#commentsSun, 01 Mar 2015 00:38:27 +0000http://www.michael-myers.net/?p=14650Continue reading →]]>Besides starring Danielle Harris, See No Evil 2 (2014) has other things in common with the HalloweeN franchise and Michael Myers. As with HalloweeN II (1981), See No Evil 2 takes place on the same night as the previous film. And, as with Michael Myers in Rob Zombie’s Halloween II, See No Evil’s killer, Jacob Goodnight, comes back to life after having been pronounced dead.

Danielle Harris plays Amy, a worker at the County Morgue. When some of the fresh cadavers from Goodnight’s killing spree are wheeled in, Amy stays to help out. This means that she won’t be able to make it to her own birthday get-together that evening.

The party’s mastermind, Amy’s friend Tamara, doesn’t let that get in the way of having a good time. Tamara and her gang show up at the coroner’s building. They have a party in the morgue without Thee Undatakerz or Kool Keith. There’s drinking, kissing and sexual intercourse.

One of the corpses that is brought in that night is that of the killer himself, Jacob Goodnight (played by WWE wrestler Kane aka Glenn Jacobs). Jacob Goodnight inexplicably returns to life. He dresses himself up in a new outfit, mask, and arms himself with some great forensic tools that were, presumably, never meant to be used as weapons.

See No Evil 2 is directed by Jen and Sylvia Soska. The scenes in the morgue itself have a sharp, stylish blue tint to them that convey isolation and bleakness. But after a power outage, the settings turn into an indistinguishable blend of dull colors.

There are also problems with the script, editing and directing that don’t hold up well against any sort of scrutiny. When Goodnight is on the loose, there’s a scene where Danielle Harris’ character Amy resorts to a map of the County Morgue. In an effort to escape, Amy, pointing at the map, explains to the rest of her friends that, “We’re here, we need to take the stairwell here.” Shouldn’t Amy know how to get to the floor above in the building where she works without referring to a map?

And why doesn’t the entire building go up in flames when Tamara uses matches to illuminate the darkened rooms? Every morgue stores chemicals that make it a fire hazard.

The film’s sloppy editing is a bothersome issue as well. There is a scene where Danielle Harris ducks down and we see some of her gorgeous tattoo on her backside. In the next shot, Danielle’s tattoo has been hastily covered up by an undershirt that has been tucked into her jeans. Another glaring mistake comes when Tamara is in the morgue. The ADR doesn’t match what is on the screen. Tamara is heard laughing, but Tamara isn’t seen laughing (she’s doing something else).

See No Evil 2‘s story is a simple one of a killer killing people. It’s a story that is so basic that it didn’t have to throw out logic and reason. A story this simple should have an airtight script and editing that are able to withstand cursory examination by the viewer, but this is not the case.

Fun Fact: Wanted a 75 year-old to play Michael Myers

Another detriment to this film is the character of Tamara. She is played by Katharine Isabelle, an actress who appeared in American Mary (also directed by the Soska sisters). In See No Evil 2, Katharine’s acting is atrocious. She whines and moans her lines, and makes awful facial expressions. It’s hard to believe that this is the same person who played Margot Verger in Season 2 of TV’s Hannibal. I’ll never look at her the same way after this.

What See No Evil 2 did right was to focus the story on Danielle Harris (unlike the previously reviewed Danielle Harris films Blood Night and Hallows’ Eve). This flick uses Danielle’s looks and talent to its benefit, rather than just using her briefly to get her name in the credits to sell a movie. Furthermore, Danielle’s character is good-natured and likable. The other characters in this film are, wisely, not as fleshed out or as visible as Danielle’s Amy.

See No Evil 2 has no inventive kills or visuals. The story barely adds anything to the mythologies of See No Evil and Jacob Goodnight. See No Evil 2 doesn’t advance the overall plot much (which makes one wonder why a direct follow-up to the original was even made after 8 years).

Additionally, you don’t need to watch the first See No Evil because key scenes and details are presented in Part 2 via flashback and exposition. See No Evil 2 is a movie that you’ve watched many times before, under other titles. But at least this has Danielle Harris at its center. If you’re a fan of hers, then that’s your reason to watch it.

]]>http://www.michael-myers.net/halloweens-danielle-harris-see-no-evil-2/feed/0Honoring Horror Sanctum Studioshttp://www.michael-myers.net/honoring-horror-sanctum-studios/
http://www.michael-myers.net/honoring-horror-sanctum-studios/#commentsWed, 18 Feb 2015 01:01:43 +0000http://www.michael-myers.net/?p=14790Continue reading →]]>The Michael Myers masks made by Sam McCain’s Horror Sanctum Studios made frequent appearances in this site’s ongoing “Featured Masks” series for very good reasons. The work that Sam put into his masks and replicas was passionate and painstaking; this commitment to putting out great masks gained HSS a loyal and dedicated following. Many serious Michael Myers and Halloween collectors had to own at least one mask that was made by the legendary Sam McCain and HSS.

Horror Sanctum Studios and Sam were incredibly prolific and offered a wide range of characters, but this tribute focuses specifically on their Halloween and Michael Myers work, including the mind-blowing Tyler Mane bust. Horror Sanctum demonstrated not only a love for the original Halloween, but also for its sequels and the Rob Zombie re-imaginings. May the art speak for the artist…

AARON_DETH Rob Zombie HSS Michael Myers:

Ibnzbass4 HSS Maniacal:

ThornedSamHain HSS Michael Myers Hobo Bust #6:

TheShape999 HSS Devious:

michaelmyers1978 HSS Halloween 4 proto:

myers2004 H4 Crofader:

The Shape of Fear HSS Halloween 5 Brute:

The Shape of Fear HSS masks:

Myerstat Tyler Mane Bearded Version bust #3:

Johnny Bosco HSS Classic 81 #1:

Horror Sanctum Studios RZ Halloween II Bloody Version mask:

]]>http://www.michael-myers.net/honoring-horror-sanctum-studios/feed/0Saying goodbye to our friend: Artist Sam McCainhttp://www.michael-myers.net/goodbye-friend-artist-sam-mccain/
http://www.michael-myers.net/goodbye-friend-artist-sam-mccain/#commentsThu, 12 Feb 2015 03:26:02 +0000http://www.michael-myers.net/?p=14685Continue reading →]]>Just a few days ago, I received an email (and later a call) from friends and family of Sam McCain, mentioning that he had been in a motorcycle accident. Being optimistic, the first thing that came to mind was that Sam would pull through. I called and left him a message, wishing him a full recovery. I assumed he would return full force, continuing to create our favorite horror pieces as he has done since the 1970’s. In what came as a shock to myself and others in the community, we learned today that Sam McCain of Horror Sanctum Studios has passed away.

Sam McCain was a monster and horror fan since he was six years old. As Sam put it himself: “I was reading Famous Monsters and watching late night Frankenstein marathons. Building Aurora monster models and dressing up as Dracula and Frankenstein with my Collegeville and Topstone Halloween masks. I grew to love monsters and wanted to have them all over my room.”

Sam later achieved one of his life’s goals, which was to make amazing monster and horror masks. He also went on to pursue another dream, which he also successfully achieved – working in Hollywood doing special effects work. Sam McCain was the first ever makeup artist and mask maker to work on the production lines at both Don Post Studios and Distortions Unlimited (where he was, and still is the only artist to have worked at both studios full time). Distortions Unlimited hired Sam in 1979, when he became their first employee. In 1981, he made and sold both the first ever mass-produced Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees masks, and started his own business – Horror Sanctum Studios. In 1985, he made the first wearable Freddy Kreuger mask.

In the Michael-Myers.net community, Sam McCain was an extremely well known and respected artist. If you have been a part of our community, chances are that you have heard Sam’s name and of his business (Horror Sanctum Studios) multiple times. Over the years he was an active member at Michael-Myers.net, and he created over a dozen representations of our favorite white masked slasher. Michael Myers was merely one of Sam’s passions as an artist, as he has released a slew of monsters and movie masks over the years.

Sam created pieces that many of us have enjoyed immensely over the years. He will be greatly missed, and we are very sad to hear the terrible news of this accident. We send our deepest condolences to the family of Sam McCain and we know that Sam and his work will be missed by horror fans across the country, and also globally.

Rest in peace Sam. We will miss you my friend.

Derek

If you would like to donate to Sam McCain’s funeral costs, a ‘GoFundMe’ page has been created by Sam’s brother and can be accessed at the following URL: http://www.gofundme.com/m8dzo0

]]>http://www.michael-myers.net/goodbye-friend-artist-sam-mccain/feed/0SAW Franchise writers to handle new HALLOWEEN filmhttp://www.michael-myers.net/saw-franchise-writers-handle-halloween-film/
http://www.michael-myers.net/saw-franchise-writers-handle-halloween-film/#commentsTue, 10 Feb 2015 06:01:47 +0000http://www.michael-myers.net/?p=14674Continue reading →]]>Michael Myers and Halloween will be resurrected by the minds of SAW franchise writers Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan. In an article by The Hollywood Reporter, it was announced that writers Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan will be handling the script for the new Halloween movie. The article also reveals that Malek Akkad and Matt Stein will be producing the forthcoming film. A director has not been named yet.

Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan wrote the films Saw IV, Saw V, Saw VI and SAW 3D, as well as The Collector, The Collection and Piranha 3DD. Sources told The Hollywood Reporter that the new Halloween film will not be a remake or a reboot, but a “recalibration.” Read the full article here.

]]>http://www.michael-myers.net/saw-franchise-writers-handle-halloween-film/feed/0Featured Michael Myers Maskshttp://www.michael-myers.net/featured-michael-myers-masks-feb-2015/
http://www.michael-myers.net/featured-michael-myers-masks-feb-2015/#commentsSun, 01 Feb 2015 01:01:28 +0000http://www.michael-myers.net/?p=14608Continue reading →]]>Settling into 2015 the Halloween continues with these Michael Myers Masks from our members. 2015 is shaping up to be a great year for us Halloween fans, since Trick or Treat has announced this year’s upcoming Halloween IIBen Tramer Mask, with new Michael Myers Masks from Halloween 4 The Return of Michael Myers, Halloween 5 The Revenge of Michael Myers and John Carpenter’s Halloween to follow in 2016. Also, site member Dick Warlock, who played Michael Myers in Halloween II, will be at several upcoming conventions, so visit his website at www.dickwarlock.com to find out the details.

]]>http://www.michael-myers.net/featured-michael-myers-masks-feb-2015/feed/0Official Halloween II Ben Tramer Mask Announcedhttp://www.michael-myers.net/official-halloween-ii-ben-tramer-mask-announced/
http://www.michael-myers.net/official-halloween-ii-ben-tramer-mask-announced/#commentsWed, 14 Jan 2015 04:28:43 +0000http://www.michael-myers.net/?p=14592Continue reading →]]>Trick or Treat Studios, the makers of the great Official Halloween Michael Myers masks, unveiled some of the new masks that will be
included in their catalog for 2015. Among the new designs is a Ben Tramer Mask from Halloween II. Ben Tramer was the character who was mistaken for Michael Myers and was forced off the sidewalk by Dr. Loomis and onto the street; Tramer was hit by a car and then caught on fire.

Trick or Treat’s Ben Tramer mask is sculpted by Justin Mabry. Trick or Treat also revealed that they have the license to produce the Michael Myers Masks for the original Halloween, Halloween 4 The Return of Michael Myers and Halloween 5 The Revenge of Michael Myers. These other masks are scheduled to come out in 2016. Visit Trick or Treat Studios!

]]>http://www.michael-myers.net/official-halloween-ii-ben-tramer-mask-announced/feed/6The Michael Myers Masks of Malek Akkadhttp://www.michael-myers.net/michael-myers-masks-malek-akkad/
http://www.michael-myers.net/michael-myers-masks-malek-akkad/#commentsThu, 01 Jan 2015 09:05:50 +0000http://www.michael-myers.net/?p=14558Continue reading →]]>HalloweeN, Michael Myers and masks are the topic of discussion all the time here. The New Year starts off with a request from a die hard Michael Myers admirer. Hardcore fan Craig Foreman (pictured) asked us to “take a step back in order to take a step forward in 2015″ (that phrase could mean many different things, but whatever).

Avid reader

Here’s an interesting interview with HalloweeN producer Malek Akkad. The discussion was conducted by Arab American Beat in 2010.

As far as Halloween 6 mask replicas go, it seems that Silver Shampain Novelties (SSN) had it right with their line of H6 masks many years ago. SSN’s The Curse, Six and George Wilburmasks captured the look of the H6 Michael Myers mask that is seen in Malek’s office.

The likenesses of both of Malek’s RZ Michael Myers masks were recreated quickly by several mask makers in the community. The easy availability of the animatronic Michael Myers head may or may not have helped to develop the accuracy of many RZ Halloween replicas. The Michael Myers animatronic is also shown during the interview.

On a side note, the interviewer, Joseph Naggiar, made a mistake during his talk with Malek. It’s nothing too major, and it’s not related to HalloweeN very much. Naggiar asks Malek about other films that he’s working on at the moment.

Naggiar says to Malek, “Tell us a little bit about the sweeping historical epic The Princess of Alhambra that you’re working on with Oscar-winning screen writer Robert Bolt.” Robert Bolt co-wrote the screenplay for Lawrence of Arabia (1962). Bolt died in 1995, so Malek couldn’t have been working with him (although he could’ve been working with a script by Bolt, he couldn’t have been working with the man himself). If I didn’t love Lawrence of Arabia so much, I wouldn’t have felt the urge to clarify what was said.

Be sure to watch all three interview clips at the links below. Some behind the scenes footage from Rob Zombie’s Halloween II is shown, Scout Taylor-Compton speaks a bit on the set of Halloween II, and Michael Myers shows up at the end of the program.